How to create ArmA 3 terrain using real world data tutorial.

This tutorial assumes you have already experience making arma3 terrains, if you do not then please read PMC Ultimate Terrain Tutorial first.

Overview is that you download heightmap from OpenTopography, satellite with Terra Incognita, roads from Geofabrik and compile all the files together using Global Mapper and QGIS.

At the time of writing this tutorial we unfortunately have to use both Global Mapper and QGIS, there is no single tool method that we know, if you can help please contact us.

Individual pages for Real World Data Global Mapper and QGIS Real World Data (WIP).

ArmA 3 terrain builder uses UTM zone 31N with the odd easting 200000 and northing 0 values.

If you are downloading real world data from some other UTM zone than 31N, then you must use that locations zone instead, otherwise the data is all stretched to almost beyond recognition.

For example Iraq WGS 84 UTM zone is 38N instead of 31N. If you are downloading data from Iraq, use Global Mapper / QGIS WGS 84 UTM zone 38N. And if you are downloading data from Afghanistan, use WGS 84 / UTM zone 42N, etc.

Check whole globes zones from DMAP: UTM Grid Zones of the World page. Also you can search “UTM zones <countryname>” with google, for example time of writing we found georepository for Iraq.

Use your web browser and go to maps.google.com and navigate to the place which interests you. Web browser seems to be much quicker and “light weight” to operate than using street maps in global mapper.

RMB position → whats here? → click the link that popped up bottom center of browser. Now the coordinates appear in the navigation bar on left side of the browser with coordinates of this location, from there its easy to copy paste them to your text notes.

You can also use Global Mapper → Connect to Online data (Online Sources) → World street map, to open street maps which show you locations in countries just like maps.google would. However maps.google is much faster / optimized and has some search plus additional features.

Best elevation data source available is SRTM, read all about Heightmap Real World Data downloading.

Best satellite texture option is Satellite Texture Terra Incognita. That page explains how to download satellite texture in OziExplorer .MAP format which can be opened in Global Mapper and QGIS.

Not usable but just in case you have it Universal Maps Downloader.

You can compile all other files together in global mapper, except roads. For roads you need to use some QGIS which is all explained in Road Shapefiles Real World Data page.

Find a spot

Start by finding location in globe as described above, you should probably know it beforehand if you decided to do real life location like lets say Mogadishu, Somalia.

Heightmap

Use opentopography to download SRTM data, this data is very lightweight to download so grab a LARGE area just in case. This way you can move your exact terrain position around a bit if necessary.

Start your terrain by opening the heightmap with global mapper as explained on its page.

Satellite

Use terra incognita to download satellite texture and remember to leave enough room around your chosen terrain area as mentioned above.

Remember to create global mapper map catalog file out of the oziexplorer .map files to ease working with the image tiles.

When arma3 v1.60 visual update was released it forced everyone to use very dark colored satellite images, so you need to use photoshop / gimp or imagemagick to apply some auto-levels or brightness darkening to the satellite texture images.

Assuming you are downloading large satellite texture, you need to remember to export in tiles from global mapper. If you are developing tiny terrain then you can ignore this, but anything above 20480 x 20480 resolution (or maybe even that) requires you to export as tiles for easier management of the images. I mean, have you ever edited 40960 x 4096 resolution image in photoshop? Ugh!

You should use imagemagick to stitch those global mapper exported satellite tiles to something larger more manageable size, assuming you are exporting crazy large satellite on 6 x 6 tiles. If you only do small 20480 in 2 x 2 tiles or so then you most likely dont have to do any of that.

Roads

Download roads as explained in our roads shapefile page, don't forget to simplify them so they are easier for terrain builder / arma3 engine.

If you are doing large terrain with lot of city coverage or just area that has great number of roads, then you most likely need to be heavy handed when deleting “bad” roads as explained in the roads page.

Back in Operation Flashpoint (OFP) era 2003 when PMC created WrpTool the first real terrain editor which still served us to arma(1) era (with some crazy guys still used it in arma2), we had no real world data terrain capabilities.

Textures were just tiles which were repeated through out the terrain making it very repeating if not plain boring.

When Armed Assault (arma) was released we got the satellite texture and satellite mask technology we know today, then terrain texture quality went through the roof and overall visuals with mask + clutter were great.

However there was no way to do real world terrains, not in any easy way anyways, you had to do everything manually. This was still the case in arma2 as visitor3 did not bring anything new to the tool set. Roads were still single pieces etc.

But with arma3 and terrain builder we now have polygon shapes, poly lines and really good tech to create real world data terrains from the web with external tools (GM, QGIS, TI).

Since 2003 WrpTool era, terrain builder is the first sign of hope

Now that we have the ability to download real world data from the web, it really revolutionize the whole terrain making community. There is no need to do fictional terrains anymore unless you specifically want to be creative that way (nothing wrong with fictional terrains, if made properly). Previously we could not do real world stuff so everyone was forced to do fictional fantasy terrains.

2003 - 2007 OFP, fictional
2007 - 2009 ArmA, fictional
2009 - 2013 ArmA 2, fictional (maybe few close to real world terrains with hard work started to appear)
2013 - now? ArmA 3, fictional + accurate real world data :)

Just a small side note, until these PMC Editing Wiki tutorials, there was no comprehensive step by step tutorial sets how to make real world data terrains, few guys had global mapper / qgis tutorials but none were complete tutorials from having nothing to getting terrain in-game.

Written by Snake Man, PMC.

Credits:

• Digital Centurion
• Ice
• M1lkm8n
• pooface
• Hydrra
• [PTR] brenden0309
• Richie

And everyone I forgot who helped in arma discord, your help made these pages possible, you should be proud of yourselves!